Inside Syria: Rare glimpse of life in Damascus
For six months Syria has been gripped by almost daily anti-regime protests and a heavily-criticised crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad's army.
The United Nations claims that at least 2,700 anti-government protesters have been killed, including 100 children, while the Syrian government says that 700 police and soldiers have died.
Most international media are not allowed into the country, but the BBC's Lyse Doucet has been given access and sent this exclusive report from the capital, Damascus.